Where does “portland” come from?
portland (English) comes from English port, from Portuguese Porto, from Old Portuguese porto, from Latin Portus Cale, from Latin Portus, from Proto-Italic portus, from Proto-Indo-European pértus, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
portland (English): The land around a port
Ancestry of “portland”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | port | A place on the coast at which ships can shelter,... |
| 2 | Portuguese | Porto | Oporto |
| 3 | Old Portuguese | porto | — |
| 4 | Latin | Portus Cale | Oporto |
| 5 | Latin | Portus | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | portus | harbour |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pértus | crossing |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |